Margaret, I love the staying power of foliage plants, they never fail to perform in my shade garden. Although, I must confess for several years I struggled with plants that were not suitable. European Ginger is an old favorite. I think I’ll try ‘tiger eyes’. Your website transports me to my garden while at work…I love it and the great comments.

I overwinter my farfugium in my greenhouse but this past winter I made the mistake of letting it flower (I do love yellow daisies but these have nothing to boast about) so this year it’s leaves are much smaller than usual. I would add to your list potentilla gelida. That one is hardy and a great silver (silver?) leaved perennial.

Yes, foliage rules in my garden too. For variety of form, leaves beat the pants off of flowers, and frankly, leaves provide just as great a color palette as flowers. Especially in the varied summer conditions of the Northeast, flowers can come and go very quickly (the rotting blooms of the Eden rose from too much rain at the wrong time come to mind) Flowers are the frosting on the cake and as such are sometimes not even needed or welcome (I cut off the flower stalks off of my Hostas the minute they appear because I feel they detract from the beauty of the foliage.) And then there are the plants that have both stellar foliage and flower. My favorite, cake and frosting success this year are the dark leaved dahlias (Romeo, Flame and Yellow Hammer). Their black opalescent foliage has been a joy for 2 Â½ months and the flowers will keep coming now until frost.

Sum and Substance is a great hosta. Some of my favorites are Spilt Milk, and Elegans, the latter of which I saw recently at a garden walk, and I kid you not, it was a full five feet or more across. ONE PLANT ! The gardener said she’d had the plant for ten years. I immediately ran out and got one for myself !

Welcome, Diana. I have numerous ‘Sieboldiana Elegans’ hostas that size at least, and no seeming end in sight. After 15 or so years, they are just so big…so I divided some this year and I swear, they have already practically caught up. A beast! Nice to “meet” you, and come again soon.

I’m a latecomer to this discussion, but I just wanted to add that I, too, am a foliage girl– glad to know there are others like me out there! Don’t get me wrong: I love flowers, but the blooms come and go and what you’re left with are the form (structure of the plant) and the foliage. So happy I found you, Margaret!

From the Podcast: Doug Tallamy’s ‘Nature’s Best Hope’

“Nature’s Best Hope” is the title of University of Delaware professor Doug Tallamy’s newest book, and the subtitle reads like this: “A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard.” In other words, you and I are nature’s best hope. Our actions count, and they add up to counteract a fragmented landscape and other challenges to the survival of so many critically important native creatures and the greater environment we all share. (Stream our conversation below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)